Apparatus for obtaining gasoline



T.VA. ISTANCLIFF APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING GASOLINE Filed March 11 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 avwen co'c Tim ms flan/u: STHNOL/FF 3% m Gu my May 131924. 1,493,871

T. A. STANCLIF'F APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING GASOLINE Filed March 11, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 til Fetented May 13, 1224i.

UNHTE srras THOMAS ARTHUR STANCLIFF, OF BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FG'R OBTAINING GASOLINE.

Application filed March 11, 1922. Serial No. 542,940.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ARTHUR STANCLIFF, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Breckenridge, in the county oi. Stevens and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Obtaining Gasoline, of which the following is a full and concisedescription.

My invention relates-to apparatus for obtaining gasoline and other lightliquid hydrocarbons from natural gas.

It is well known that the gas issuing from many wells containsappreciable quantities of light hydrocarbons capable of being liquefiedand having a value for use in commercial naphthas and gasolines. Howeverprior processes and apparatuses for the extraction of gasoline ornaphtha from natural gas have all required a very great expenditurethereby preventing the treatment of a large proportion of gasolinebearing natural gas so that much gasoline from this source is nowallowed to go to waste.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a process andapparatus which will separate gasoline from the natural gas and whichcan be installed and operated at relatively low expense.

The novel features of my invention are pointed out with particularity inthe appended claims. The invention itself, together with further objectsand advantages, will best be understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is acentral vertical section through an apparatus according to my invention,parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 1 is a detail section on line 1, 1 of Fi 3 and 4 of a portion ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is-a central longitudinal section taken on an inclined plane atright angles to the plane of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section of the line 44 of Fig. 1a Sula Fig. 5 is a detail ofan element appearing in the other figures.

In the drawings T have illustrated an apparatus according to myinvention in which 1 is a large outer cylinder preferably inclined at anangle of about 30 to horizontal. Within the cylinder 1 and spacedtherefrom is a tube or cylinder 2 which projects from cylinder 1 at bothends. At the lower end of cylinder 2 there is an inlet tube 3 whichprojects through the lower end of the tube 2 and connects with asuitable inlet pipe, a valve 3 being provided at or near the end of tube3 for controlling the inlet of gas to be treated. The gas entering thelower end of tube 3 blows upwardly and out through the open end thereofinto themterior of cylinder 2. Within cylinder '2 are a plurality ofbaffle plates 4, 4 and 5, 5 arranged for the most part in alternatingseries' plates. 4 and 5 being held in position and spaced by rods 6 and7 which pass through the upper and lower portions respectively of plates4 and 5, rod 7 being preferably larger than rod 6 and running to a pointnear the lower end of cylinder 2 where it is connected to the cylinder.The plates 4 have apertures 45*, 4 in the upper portions of the platesand the plates 5 have apertures 5, 5 therein near the lower part of theplates 5 whereby the gas stream is obliged to pass alternately upwardlyand downwardly during its passage through the cylinder 2. According tomy invention, the gas is delivered to the interior of cylinder 2 underpressure and the pressure may vary over wide ranges being in general thepressure available at the gas well. Due to the combined pressure and lowtemperature, produced in the manner described below, party of the lightliquid hydrocarbons or gasoline separates out from the gas stream withincylinder 2 and settles to the bottom of the chambers formed betweenplates 4 and 5. In order to protect the separated liquid from the streamof gas and prevent its -reabsorption thereby, I place invertedtrough-like members 8 between the plates- 4 and 5, the lower corners ofthese members 8 being cut away as illustrated at 9 at Fig. 5 to provideapertures 9 adjacent the upper faces of the plates 4 and 5 through whichliquid may drain into the interior of the members 8. The plates 4 and 5are, moreover, notched as appears at 10, 10 in Figs. 3, 4 and 1 topermit liquid to drain down within the trough-members 8 to the lower endof the cylinder 2.

The gas having been deprived of a portion'of its condensable liquid,passes out at the upper end of cylinder 2 into the pipe 11, thencethrough suitable pipe 12 containmil ill

from the gas within the cylinder 2 as previously, mentioned. Thereduction of temperature in cylinder 1 produces an additional separationof light liquid hydrocarbons in the outer cylinder. The dry gas havingthus been relieved of the liquid hydrocarbons passes into the outer pipe1% which is fitted with a suitable escape valve 15. Liquid settling outin the cylinder 1 drains toward its lower end and the liquid in thelower ends of both cylinders 2 and l may be withdrawn as desired,cylinder 2 having an outer pipe 16 valved as shown at 17 and cylinder 1having an outlet pipe 18 valved as illustrated at 19.

I have operated an apparatus of the type herein disclosed and accordingto the method herein, with very satisfactory results as to the amount ofgasoline recovered and the commercial economy of operation. It will beseen from this that I have produced a method of recovering gasoline andapparatus for carrying out the same which are capable of very wideapplication on account of ow cost of the apparatus and its simplicityandto the fact that it requires little attention of the apparatus andits satisfactory yields of gasoline.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,

A 1. An apparatus for separating light liquid hydrocarbons from naturalgas com prising an inclined container for receiving compressed naturalgas having bafiie plates therein, and inverted gutter members betweensaid plates having apertures permitting liquid to pass under themembers, said plates having apertures permitting liquid to pass from onemember to the next.

2. An apparatus for separating light liquid hydrocarbons from naturalgas comprising two tubular containers, one disposed within the other,the inner container having baflie plates therein, inverted guttermembers between said plates having apertures permitting liquid to passunder the mem bers, said plates having apertures permitting liquid topass from one member to the next, a connection between said containersincluding an expansion valve whereby the expanded gas, in the outercontainer will chill the gas in the inner container passing over thebattle plates.

3. An apparatus of the kind described comprising in combination twotubular containers, one disposed within the other, means for conductinga gas into the inner chamber, means for separating liquid from said gascomprising a plurality of battle plates in said inner chamber, invertedgutter members between said plates having apertures permitting liquid topass under the members, said plates having apertures permitting liquidto pass from one member to the next, a connection between saidcontainers including an expansion valve whereby the expanded gas in theouter container will chill the gas in the inner container passing overthe bafiie plates, and means for collecting the liquid separated, andwithdrawing the same from said containers.

THOMAS ARTHUR STANCLIFF.

